The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage - Chapter 140

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 140
140
4.
Clop, clop, clop!
Whinny, whinny, whinny!
Eight magnificent horses thundered across the polished stone streets of the city.
Their rippling musculature and raw, commanding strength were unmistakable.
Every detail spoke of exceptional bloodline—these were thoroughbreds of the highest caliber.
More than that, they appeared to be war horses, the kind bred and trained for combat.
Yet these noble steeds were harnessed to a carriage adorned with subtle, deep black lacquer and intricate designs.
It seemed an incongruous sight at first glance.
But then one noticed the flag fluttering atop the carriage, emblazoned with a single crest.
Everyone who saw it understood immediately.
Overpellis.
An eight-horse carriage signified nobility or royalty.
The city’s ruler might have taken offense at such a display.
Instead, the city guards caught sight of that banner and instinctively stepped aside, clearing a path without obstruction.
The name Overpellis carried considerable weight.
Those connected to power trembled at it.
Common citizens, lacking influence, gazed upon the Overpellis standard with gratitude and reverence.
Inside that magnificent carriage sat a player named Yoo Sung-hyun.
“Hmm.”
He was thoroughly uncomfortable.
He hadn’t expected to enter the city with such fanfare.
The mask concealed his face, at least.
Yet he felt utterly exposed.
He maintained his composure and handled it well enough.
But Yoo Sung-hyun was the type whose face burned with embarrassment whenever he received excessive attention or praise.
“I offer my deepest respects once more, great Successor! I am Belmore Arcadius, Branch Director of the Overpalace Pentagrid Branch.”
“I understand, Arcadius.”
“Huh!?!?”
The moment Yoo Sung-hyun spoke with formal respect.
Belmore Arcadius gasped dramatically, performing a somersault of a bow within the carriage, lowering himself with utmost deference.
Then he spoke to Yoo Sung-hyun with extreme caution.
“P-please, I beg you, do not speak to someone so insignificant with such courtesy. I am hardly worthy of such honor.”
“…Very well. Belmore.”
“Ah, merely that you would concern yourself with the welfare of someone so lowly… I am deeply, deeply grateful.”
So he’d asked not to be spoken to with such formality, and Yoo Sung-hyun obliged.
Now Belmore was thanking him for showing concern for his wellbeing.
Tears were streaming down his face.
Is this really right?
Do these Overpellis people really have making a fuss as their default passive skill?
Can’t they function without all this commotion?
Yoo Sung-hyun found himself in an awkward position thinking such things.
Yet Belmore Arcadius remained bowed before him as he asked.
“Is there perhaps something you require, sir?”
“Hmm.”
Hearing those words, Yoo Sung-hyun paused to consider.
Just as the First Village had its Dark Mage training institute,
this city also had various vocational centers where different professions could learn multiple skills.
For mages, that was the Magic Tower, and other professions had their own vocational centers.
I understood that Overpellis served a similar role.
While such attentive treatment was certainly appreciated…
‘It’s rather burdensome, though.’
As Yoo Sung-hyun felt this burden,
Belmore Arcadius spoke as if he already understood.
“I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused in that unavoidable situation earlier, where we had to trouble you before other foreigners!!! From now on, we shall enter the Overpalace Pentagrid Branch by carriage, so you need not worry about drawing the attention of other foreigners.”
“Ah. That’s a relief.”
Yoo Sung-hyun spoke with relief.
Belmore Arcadius nodded with considerable satisfaction.
With Yoo Sung-hyun here, serving him would be the greatest and most important task this branch had undertaken since its founding!
Therefore, he must attend to him with utmost sincerity.
It was only regrettable that the world’s will prevented him from offering even more lavish treatment.
But he intended to do everything within that limit.
Whinnnnny!
After a small commotion in the carriage like that, not long passed before
using such powerful war horses,
they could arrive at the Overpalace Pentagrid Branch in no time.
‘…It’s even larger than a lord’s castle.’
A massive fortress with an estate grander and more expansive than the lord’s castle where the lord himself resided.
I wondered how there could be two castles within a single city.
Was one of them really Overpellis’s?
Yoo Sung-hyun shook his head as if he couldn’t quite believe it.
Their scale was truly unmatched.
With such thoughts, I stepped down from the carriage.
Around me as I descended, countless Dark Mages belonging to Overpellis bowed their heads in two neat rows.
‘….’
This wasn’t some gangster movie.
It had that exact feeling of “Hello, boss!”
It was quite burdensome.
When would I ever get to experience something like this again?
Yoo Sung-hyun walked that path with composure and calm indifference.
“Glorious and noble!!! I behold the true successor of Overpalace!!!”
“We behold the true successor!!!”
Belmore Arcadius, the branch director, led the chant.
The voices echoed out in unison.
Was this really how people planned to keep other players from noticing?
The burden only grew heavier.
Yoo Sung-hyun shook his head and proceeded forward with understanding.
He needed to finish his business quickly if he wanted to escape Overpalace.
He resolved to conduct his affairs as swiftly as possible.
“M-may I have the honor of guiding you, sir?!”
Belmore Arcadius inserted himself once more.
The place was vast enough that having a guide seemed better than wandering alone, so he accepted.
“Show me the way.”
“Haha! Thank you so much!!!”
Belmore Arcadius eagerly began to lead the way.
But then came the swarm of Dark Mages following behind him.
There appeared to be well over thirty of them.
Each one looked formidable.
‘These must be the key personnel of this Overpalace branch.’
But they were all following along while he was being guided?
Yoo Sung-hyun walked a bit further, wondering if this could really be happening.
They really were all following him.
Even someone as composed and unflappable as Yoo Sung-hyun couldn’t ignore this.
“Couldn’t… just the branch director follow along?”
Yoo Sung-hyun asked carefully.
The older Dark Mages looked disappointed and hung their heads low.
The sight was genuinely pitiful and reminded him of his parents, but
a refusal was still a refusal.
If he continued like this, he’d look like some corporate chairman touring his own company.
How could other players not notice?
Yoo Sung-hyun made his suggestion.
Instead, Belmore Arcadius’s eyes glistened with tears.
“Kh-hup, th-thank you. For giving me this opportunity.”
“Ah.”
It wasn’t that at all—he’d simply found the crowd burdensome.
He realized people could misunderstand in their own favorable way.
It seemed better to let him think what he wanted.
The branch director asked carefully.
“Ah, so you’ll cast a cognition-blocking spell and conduct an inspection?”
“…Sure, why not.”
I didn’t have the energy to protest what kind of inspection this was, so I agreed.
I could think of it as simply touring around the Overpalace branch.
And Yoo Sung-hyun’s assumption was exactly right.
As I walked through the Overpalace Pentagrid Branch,
Belmore Arcadius explained everything in detail.
Starting from the reception desk-like area that provided guidance.
There was a training hall where you could verify Dark Mage skills and practice, a material shop where you could purchase various Dark Mage materials, a magical workshop where you could buy Dark Mage items and equipment, and even a skill academy where you could learn advanced techniques.
The Overpalace Pentagrid Branch had everything—it was like there was nothing missing.
Especially the training halls, which even had private training rooms, so security was quite excellent.
The facilities were truly outstanding.
‘Incredible.’
While Yoo Sung-hyun was marveling internally, the number of users was extremely sparse.
The entrance exam was indeed quite rigorous, as I’d heard.
The relatively small number of Dark Mages probably contributed to that as well.
As Yoo Sung-hyun continued his tour,
“This is the Library. It houses historical records documenting our long history, as well as various books on magical principles and theories.”
“Oh?”
There was an enormous library with actual books, not just skill books.
An entire tower had been converted into a library.
Towering bookshelves stretched toward the sky, and mysterious ladder-like structures flew about around the shelves, allowing passage between them.
It was a mystical sight that looked like something from a wizard movie.
Yoo Sung-hyun’s gaze lingered for a moment.
Then suddenly,
“What!? Why can’t I check out this book!?”
A small commotion erupted.
Yoo Sung-hyun turned his attention toward it.
I could see a person arguing with one of the library librarians.
‘A user?’
Judging by the icon above their head, they were indeed a user.
But to be in the library of all places.
That was rather unusual.
Reading books didn’t seem to offer much practical benefit.
From Yoo Sung-hyun’s perspective, it was peculiar.
A short man wearing glasses.
He didn’t appear to be very old.
Probably in his early twenties, around the same age as Yoo Sung-hyun?
Naturally, since this was the East Asia Server, he had an East Asian appearance.
He wanted to check out a book.
‘That’s peculiar.’
She must really love books.
Yoo Sung-hyun thought as much and was about to move on.
Belmore Arcadius, the branch director, hurried to intervene.
“Allow me to look into it.”
“Ah. No, it’s fine.”
Even as Yoo Sung-hyun spoke those words.
“I apologize, but Barbaros has exceeded the maximum number of books allowed for borrowing and cannot check out any more.”
“Ah, ah. But… couldn’t we make an exception? I really want to read this one too…”
“Since Barbaros has also exhausted all available reading time, I’m afraid I cannot issue any additional books.”
“Ah, aah.”
The user called Barbaros drooped his shoulders in resignation, returned the book to the shelf, and trudged away dejectedly.
He must have been quite the book enthusiast.
To have exceeded both the borrowing limit and exhausted all reading time?
Did he play the game just to read books?
He was certainly an eccentric user.
Yoo Sung-hyun dismissed the thought as mere oddity and moved forward.
“We have now completed the tour of all facilities within Overpellis. Is there anything else you would like to know?”
At that question, Yoo Sung-hyun was about to say he was satisfied and move on.
Then, suddenly, his sister’s words came to mind.
The story about a murder that had occurred not long ago.
Yoo Sung-hyun recalled that conversation and immediately asked.
“I heard there was a murder case in this city recently?”
“Ah, you’re referring to that incident. Yes, it certainly did occur. If you’re curious about the alley where the murder took place, I can mark it for you.”
“Oh.”
When Yoo Sung-hyun expressed interest in having that location marked.
I felt quite grateful.
Though Belmore Arcadius had been excessive thus far, he was genuinely trying to be of service to me.
Belmore Arcadius then retrieved something and murmured to himself.
Then handed it to me.
“This is a map with that location marked. It’s the highest-grade map available, and it will prove useful when you’re active in the Labyrinth going forward.”
“Oh?”
[You have obtained『Premium Labyrinth Map』.]
[From now on, the Pentagrid City map and Pentagrid Labyrinth will be displayed on your map.]
As I acquired the map.
A message appeared.
And looking at the location marked in red on the city map, I expressed my gratitude.
“Thank you.”
“Not at all. It is our fortune to be of service whenever we can.”
“Ahem. Then I’ll be on my way.”
In any case, I’ll need to visit Overpalace frequently.
Let’s leave it at that.
“K-koff. I’m simply grateful for such kind words, sir.”
Belmore Arcadius, tears streaming down his face.
Excessive as always.
Yoo Sung-hyun quickly exited Overpalace.
We headed toward the location marked on the map.
Since he seemed to handle matters thoroughly, I could enter the Alley of Blood, drenched in bloodstains.
The moment Yoo Sung-hyun stepped into the alley.
The system message I’d been waiting for appeared.
[Rare Linked Quest, 『Bloodstains of the Alley』 has been created.]
[You may abandon this Quest at any time.]
[There is no penalty for abandonment.]
And then.
-Gasp!? Y-you can see me? A n-noble, you say!?
I discovered a single Female Ghost, forlorn in that alley.
I had a premonition this Quest would be more entertaining than expected.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————